Vehicles are expensive. If you own one, you want to take care of it as best you can. Apart from the cost of having to have your vehicle repaired or having components replaced when things go wrong, there’s the cost of time, as well. Car troubles never seem to come at a good time and many of us rely on our vehicles to get through our daily lives. All of this is to say, you want to avoid car problems as much as possible.
This is doubly true of your transmission. Transmissions are big, complicated, and integral to your vehicle’s operation. As such, transmissions are expensive. You need a transmission to make your car go and yet there is so much that can go wrong with a transmission due to its complicated nature. Anything you can do to keep your transmission working properly and working for longer will save you money and headaches. Here are five ways to extend the life of your transmission.
The first thing you can do to extend the life of your transmission is to take it easy. There’s no need to shift gears hard. Come to a complete stop before shifting from drive to reverse or vice versa. On cold days it can take about five kilometers for your transmission to properly warm up. Drive easy at first.
Without transmission fluid your transmission won’t work. Furthermore, if something is wrong with your transmission, you will almost certainly see evidence of it in your transmission fluid. Make sure your fluid is up to the correct level; insufficient fluid can cause your transmission to overheat. Also, give it a sniff and an inspection. Damaged transmission fluid smells bad and has an opaque colour as opposed to the desirable reddish, translucent hue. You should check your transmission fluid every month.
Regular service of your transmission is also key to extending its life. You should get your transmission serviced about every 50,000 kms or every two years, whichever comes first. What goes into transmission service? Typically, transmission service consists of draining old transmission fluid, replacing the filter, cleaning the transmission pan, and putting in new fluid. Some people are comfortable doing this themselves while others prefer to avoid the hassle by letting a transmission repair shop take care of it. Some models of transmission are easier to service than others. If you have any doubts, you should leave it to the professionals.
Synthetic transmission fluid is often superior to the traditional variety. Every transmission is different, though. However, many transmissions benefit from synthetic fluid. Ask your local Mister Transmission experts if synthetic fluid is right for your type of transmission.
Transmissions like to be cool. But they often get hot. What can you do to keep yours cool? First, basic cooling maintenance. About every other year you should ask your transmission technicians to replace the antifreeze, check for leaks and damage, change the hoses, and perform a radiator cap pressure test. You may also want to add an external cooler to help keep your transmission cool if you are towing anything as well.
For more tips on how to extend the life of your transmission, please contact us.
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